Regulations last checked for updates: Jun 02, 2024

Title 31 - Money and Finance: Treasury last revised: May 29, 2024
§ 1010.911 - General.

For any investigation for the purpose of civil enforcement of violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, or any regulation issued pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act, the Secretary or delegate of the Secretary may summon a financial institution or an officer or employee of a financial institution (including a former officer or employee), or any person having possession, custody, or care of any of the records and reports required under the Bank Secrecy Act or this chapter to appear before the Secretary or his delegate, at a time and place named in the summons, and to give testimony, under oath, and be examined, and to produce such books, papers, records, or other data as may be relevant or material to such investigation.

§ 1010.912 - Persons who may issue summons.

For purposes of this chapter, the following officials are hereby designated as delegates of the Secretary who are authorized to issue a summons under § 1010.911, solely for the purposes of civil enforcement of this chapter:

(a) FinCEN. The Director, FinCEN.

(b) Internal Revenue Service. Except with respect to § 1010.340 of this chapter, the Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner, or a delegate of either official, and, for the purposes of perfecting seizures and forfeitures related to civil enforcement of this chapter, the Chief (Criminal Investigation) or a delegate.

(c) Customs and Border Protection. With respect to § 1010.340 of this chapter, the Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner, the Assistant Commissioner (Enforcement), Regional Commissioners, Assistant Regional Commissioners (Enforcement), and Special Agents in Charge.

§ 1010.913 - Contents of summons.

(a) Summons for testimony. Any summons issued under § 1010.911 of this chapter to compel the appearance and testimony of a person shall state:

(1) The name, title, address, and telephone number of the person before whom the appearance shall take place (who may be a person other than the persons who are authorized to issue such a summons under § 1010.912 of this chapter);

(2) The address to which the person summoned shall report for the appearance;

(3) The date and time of the appearance; and

(4) The name, title, address, and telephone number of the person who has issued the summons.

(b) Summons of books, papers, records, or data. Any summons issued under § 1010.911 of this chapter to require the production of books, papers, records, or other data shall describe the materials to be produced with reasonable specificity, and shall state:

(1) The name, title, address, and telephone number of the person to whom the materials shall be produced (who may be a person other than the persons who are authorized to issue such a summons under § 1010.912 of this chapter);

(2) The address at which the person summoned shall produce the materials, not to exceed 500 miles from any place where the financial institution operates or conducts business in the United States;

(3) The specific manner of production, whether by personal delivery, by mail, or by messenger service;

(4) The date and time for production; and

(5) The name, title, address, and telephone number of the person who has issued the summons.

§ 1010.914 - Service of summons.

(a) Who may serve. Any delegate of the Secretary authorized under § 1010.912 of this chapter to issue a summons, or any other person authorized by law to serve summonses or other process, is hereby authorized to serve a summons issued under this chapter.

(b) Manner of service. Service of a summons may be made—

(1) Upon any person, by registered mail, return receipt requested, directed to the person summoned;

(2) Upon a natural person by personal delivery; or

(3) Upon any other person by delivery to an officer, managing or general agent, or any other agent authorized to receive service of process.

(c) Certificate of service. The summons shall contain a certificate of service to be signed by the server of the summons. On the hearing of an application for enforcement of the summons, the certificate of service signed by the person serving the summons shall be evidence of the facts it states.

§ 1010.915 - Examination of witnesses and records.

(a) General. Any delegate of the Secretary authorized under § 1010.912 of this chapter to issue a summons, or any officer or employee of the Treasury Department or any component thereof who is designated by that person (whether in the summons or otherwise), is hereby authorized to receive evidence and to examine witnesses pursuant to the summons. Any person authorized by law may administer any oaths and affirmations that may be required under this subpart.

(b) Testimony taken under oath. Testimony of any person under this chapter may be taken under oath, and shall be taken down in writing by the person examining the person summoned or shall be otherwise transcribed. After the testimony of a witness has been transcribed, a copy of that transcript shall be made available to the witness upon request, unless for good cause the person issuing the summons determines, under 5 U.S.C. 555,that. If such a determination has been made, the witness shall be limited to inspection of the official transcript of the testimony.

(c) Disclosure of summons, testimony, or records. Unless the Secretary or a delegate of the Secretary listed under § 1010.912(a) of this chapter so authorizes in writing, or it is otherwise required by law, no delegate of the Secretary listed under § 1010.912 (b) or (c) of this chapter or other officer or employee of the Treasury Department or any component thereof shall—

(1) Make public the name of any person to whom a summons has been issued under this chapter, or release any information to the public concerning that person or the issuance of a summons to that person prior to the time and date set for that person's appearance or production of records; or

(2) Disclose any testimony taken (including the name of the witness) or material presented pursuant to the summons, to any person other than an officer or employee of the Treasury Department or of any component thereof. Nothing in the preceding sentence shall preclude a delegate of the Secretary, or other officer or employee of the Treasury Department or any component thereof, from disclosing testimony taken, or material presented pursuant to a summons issued under this chapter, to any person in order to obtain necessary information for investigative purposes relating to the performance of official duties, or to any officer or employee of the Department of Justice in connection with a possible violation of Federal law.

§ 1010.916 - Enforcement of summons.

In the case of contumacy by, or refusal to obey a summons issued to, any person under this chapter, the Secretary or any delegate of the Secretary listed under § 1010.912 of this chapter shall refer the matter to the Attorney General or delegate of the Attorney General (including any United States Attorney or Assistant United States Attorney, as appropriate), who may bring an action to compel compliance with the summons in any court of the United States within the jurisdiction of which the investigation which gave rise to the summons being or has been carried on, the jurisdiction in which the person summoned is a resident, or the jurisdiction in which the person summoned carries on business or may be found. When a referral is made by a delegate of the Secretary other than a delegate named in § 1010.912(a) of this chapter, prompt notification of the referral must be made to the Director, FinCEN. The court may issue an order requiring the person summoned to appear before the Secretary or delegate of the Secretary to produce books, papers, records, or other data, to give testimony as may be necessary in order to explain how such material was compiled and maintained, and to pay the costs of the proceeding. Any failure to obey the order of the court may be punished by the court as a contempt thereof. All process in any case under this section may be served in any judicial district in which such person may be found.

§ 1010.917 - Payment of expenses.

Persons summoned under this chapter shall be paid the same fees and mileage for travel in the United States that are paid witnesses in the courts of the United States. The United States shall not be liable for any other expense incurred in connection with the production of books, papers, records, or other data under this chapter.

authority: 12 U.S.C. 1829b and 1951-1959; 31 U.S.C. 5311-5314,5316; title III, sec. 314 Pub. L. 107-56, 115 Stat. 307; sec. 701 Pub. L. 114-74, 129 Stat. 599; sec. 6403, Pub. L. 116-283, 134 Stat. 3388
source: 75 FR 65812, Oct. 26, 2010, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 31 CFR 1010.912